Eugen team with Paradox for tactical RTS Steel Division

Paradox have announced a new strategy game, Steel Division: Normandy 44. Created by Eugen Systems, the studio behind clever clogs WWII game R.U.S.E. and the Wargame series, it contains “400 different real-world vehicles and units designed with careful historical detail and accuracy” and maps based on aerial recon photos of 1944 Normandy. Mmmmm. Lovely authenticity. It’s the tactical tricks that make it sound so appealing though.

Here are the tastiest morsels of information, direct from the warhorse’s mouth:

Real-world Tactics: Battles rage over three distinct phases, where different units unlock over time, mimicking the movements of real-world armies and adding variety to the ever-changing theatre of war. A dynamic front line illustrates the ebb and flow of the conflict. Pin down your opponent’s infantry to gain the advantage and force a retreat, or push through with a perfectly executed plan,

Outplan, Outsmart, Outgun: From battlegroup customization to troop positioning and maneuvering, winning battles requires cunning and strategy, not just raw firepower. Each unit lost presents a growing tactical disadvantage, and players will need to fight to gain — and keep — the upper hand.

Eugen’s most recent release, Act of Aggression, didn’t receive a warm reaction from Rob Zacny on these pages, but it felt like a throwback where so much of their work had been quietly innovative, pushing the RTS genre forward. Steel Division already sounds like a more interesting proposition, with its dynamic front line and combat phases, so here’s hoping it’s a return to form.

As well as multiplayer “up to and including 10-versus-10 battles”, Steel Division will have a full singleplayer campaign mode. We’ll know much more in the very near future.